Department for Transport

Railways: Fares

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost to the public purse will be of keeping rail fare rises below the level of inflation until the end of this Parliament.

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will reduce rail fares in line with current levels of inflation.

Claire Perry: We know that passengers are concerned about the cost of fares. That is why we have capped regulated fares at the level of the Retail Price Index (RPI) for two years running, and will continue to do so for the life of this parliament. It is also why over the past two years we have reduced the level of non-cumulative ‘flex’, by which operators could in each year increase individual regulated fares above the permitted average, from the 5% introduced by Labour to 2% in 2014 and 0% in 2015, and will continue this 0% policy to stop operators increasing individual fares above the now permitted average level of RPI for the life of this parliament. The fares rise for January 2016 will be based on July 2015’s RPI. The cost to the Government of capping regulated rail fares at RPI+0% for the next five years is estimated to be around £700m (in nominal prices).

Eurotunnel

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with Eurotunnel about reliability of services.

Claire Perry: The Intergovernmental Commission (IGC) supervises on behalf of the British and French Governments, all matters concerning the construction and operation of the Channel Tunnel and has regular discussions with Eurotunnel concerning the reliability of its services, as well as on safety and security matters.

Railways: WiFi

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether free WiFi will be required of train operating companies in all future franchise agreements.

Claire Perry: As the Department announced in February this year, rail passengers will benefit from free Wi-Fi on trains across England and Wales from 2017. All train operators bidding for new franchises and direct award agreements will have to include this specification in their bid. Where there is no new franchise agreement due in the next 2 years, almost £50 million of funding will be released from the Department for Transport to ensure Wi-Fi is available.

Cycling: Capital Investment

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to announce the Cycling and Investment Strategy.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Government intends to announce a Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy as soon as is practicable once steps in the relevant legislation and any other activities deemed necessary have been undertaken.

Roads: Accidents

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 8 November 2010 to Question 21910, Official Report, column 112W, how many accidents involving a car towing, by item on tow, there have been in the UK since 2010.

Andrew Jones: The table below gives the number of accidents involving a car towing, by item on tow, each year from 2010 to 2013 in Great Britain.Reported accidents involving a car towing, by item on tow: GB 2010 to 2013Accident yearSingle trailerDouble trailerCaravanOther120104001215576201138422153632012313231216820133241013064 1. Including accidents involving multiple cars towing different items  The Department does not hold information for Northern Ireland so cannot provide figures for the UK. Statistics for 2014 will be available from the 25th June.

Roads: Herefordshire

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to reduce the number of potholes in Herefordshire.

Andrew Jones: My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport announced on 23 December 2014 funding allocations for local highway authorities in England between 2015/16 and 2020/21. This includes over £60 million for Herefordshire. This funding can be used to reduce the number of potholes on the local road network. It is for each local highway authority to improve the condition of the local road network through planned preventative maintenance. The Department for Transport’s role is to support local authorities through the provision of funding and by sharing good practice. Further information on the funding allocations can be found at the following address: http://maps.dft.gov.uk/local-highways-maintenance-funding/

Railways: Herefordshire

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to improve the rail service from Paddington to Hereford.

Claire Perry: The Department has agreed to timetable changes which improve the service provision to Hereford. We are also funding additional seating (standard class) and refurbishments (first class) on High Speed Train services serving Hereford, and contributing to the funding for the new Worcestershire Parkway station. The Class 800 train, specially designed and built by Hitachi for the government’s £5.7 billion InterCity Express Programme (IEP), will revolutionise journeys with more seats on each train, more services, reduced journey times and improved reliability. Work is also ongoing to look at additional track redoubling between Oxford and Worcester on this line.

Shipping: Training

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to record the number of (a) trainee and (b) apprenticeship seafarer ratings in the domestic maritime industry each year; and if he will include such data in his Department's annual UK Seafarer Statistics series.

Mr Robert Goodwill: At present neither the Department for Transport nor the Maritime and Coastguard Agency hold data on the number of trainee ratings or apprenticeship ratings. We currently have no plans to include data on trainee ratings in the Seafarers Statistics, however, this request will be considered as part of the Official Statistics Code of Practice protocol on user engagement to take account of users’ views and systematically review feedback from users.

Shipping

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason forecasts of future numbers of (a) UK certificated officers, (b) non-UK certificated officers, (c) cadets and (d) ratings do not feature in his Department's annual UK Seafarer Statistic series; and if he will make it his policy to include such forecasts in future editions of that publication.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Forecasts of future number of sea farers for 2011-2031 were published in the Seafarers Statistics 2011. This followed the publication of An independent review of the economic requirement for trained seafarers in the UK for the Department for Transport which estimated the future supply of and demand for officers, ratings and ex-seafarers for 2016 and 2021.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Housing: Southwark

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many households in the London Borough of Southwark applied for housing assistance under the homelessness legislation of the Housing Act 1996 in the last 12 months.

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many households in the London Borough of Southwark were accepted as being owed a main homelessness duty under the homelessness legislation of the Housing Act 1996 in the last 12 months.

Mr Marcus Jones: In the calendar year 2014, 792 households were accepted as owed a main homelessness duty to secure accommodation. These statistics are taken from the quarterly P1E forms completed by local authorities in England, which have been published at the following location;https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-homelessness. The homelessness legislation in England provides one of the strongest safety nets in the world for families with children and vulnerable people who become homeless through no fault of their own. Since 2010, the Government has invested over £500 million to prevent and tackle all forms of homelessness and this has helped local authorities prevent over 700,000 households from becoming homeless.

Private Rented Housing: Southwark

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many households in the London Borough of Southwark were evicted from private rental accommodation in each of the last 10 years.

Brandon Lewis: This information is not held centrally. However, the English Housing Survey Headline Report, published on 25 February 2015, makes it clear that in most cases, it is the private rented tenant who chooses to end the tenancy. In 2013-14, 81% of private renters who had moved in the last three years, ended their previous private rented tenancy because they wanted to move; 7% were asked to leave by their landlord or agent; 10% of tenancies were ended by ‘mutual agreement’.

Housing: Southwark

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will estimate the change in the average house price in the London Borough of Southwark in each of the last 10 years.

Brandon Lewis: Annual statistics on average house prices in the London Borough of Southwark are published in the Department's live tables 585 (mean) and 586 (median) which are available at the following link. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-housing-market-and-house-prices Monthly statistics on the change in average house prices, at national and regional level, are published by the Office for National Statistics and are available at the following link: http://ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/hpi/house-price-index/index.html

Private Rented Housing: Southwark

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will estimate the level of change in median monthly rent in the private sector in the London Borough of Southwark for (a) one, (b) two and (c) three-bedroom flats in each of the last 10 years.

Brandon Lewis: Statistics on the private rental market in England and the London Borough of Southwark are published by the Valuation Office Agency and are available at the following link. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/private-rental-market-statistics-may-2015 The Valuation Office Agency advises that because the composition of this sample changes over time, it is not possible to compare median rents provided in this publication with statistics in previous publications to infer trends in the rental market over time. The statistics therefore provide a snapshot that shows the range of rents across England. The official source on change over time in cost of renting is the Office for National Statistics Index of Private Housing Rental Prices available at the following link. http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/hpi/index-of-private-housing-rental-prices/january-to-march-2015-results/index.html

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Mohammed Morsi

Mr David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Egyptian government to reconsider the death sentence imposed on former President Morsi.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: I raised our concerns over the sentencing to death of former President Morsi with the Egyptian Ambassador in London on 17 May. I also issued a statement on 17 May, setting out the Government's deep concern at the sentencing to death of former President Morsi and over 100 others.Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials have also discussed this case with representatives of the Egyptian government.We have been clear that the Egyptian authorities must apply the rule of law consistently in line with international standards, and protect the political and legal rights of all Egyptians as the basis for the country’s future stability. It is the long-standing policy of the Government to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. We note that there are further stages in the legal process, and will continue to follow this case closely.

Northern Ireland Office

General Election 2015: Northern Ireland

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when she expects the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland to publish the list of candidates' expenses relating to the recent General Election.

Mr Ben Wallace: In accordance with section 88 of the Representation of the People Act 1983, the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland will publish the list of candidates’ election expenses for the UK Parliamentary election within 10 days from the deadline for submission of elections expenses. The deadline for submissions is Friday 12 June 2015.

National Crime Agency: Northern Ireland

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many (a) full and (b) part-time personnel will be engaged exclusively in duties for the National Crime Agency in Northern Ireland in the next 12 months.

Mrs Theresa Villiers: The National Crime Agency became fully operational in Northern Ireland on 20 May. This will boost efforts to combat serious organised crime. However, responsibility for the National Crime Agency in Northern Ireland rests with the devolved Department of Justice, not the Northern Ireland Office.

Stormont House Agreement

Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps she is taking to bring forward legislative proposals to implement the Stormont House Agreement.

Mrs Theresa Villiers: As announced by Her Majesty The Queen on 27 May 2015, legislation will be brought forward in this Parliament giving effect to the Stormont House Agreement in Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland (Stormont House Agreement) Bill will establish the Historical Investigations Unit, and an Oral History Archive. My officials are working with officials from the devolved administration on various aspects of the Bill.The Bill will also provide for the Independent Commission for Information Retrieval which is to be established by an international agreement between the UK and Irish Governments. The Bill represents an important step forward towards recognising the needs of victims and putting in place new mechanisms to help Northern Ireland deal with its past.

Attorney General

Private Prosecutions

Mary Glindon: To ask the Attorney General, on how many occasions the Director of Public Prosecutions has (a) taken over and (b) discontinued private prosecutions in the last 10 years for which data is available.

Robert Buckland: The Crown Prosecution Service does not maintain an authoritative central record of the number of private prosecutions (a) taken over and (b) discontinued by the Director of Public Prosecutions. To identify the number would require a manual exercise to review individual files which would incur a disproportionate cost.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Conditions of Employment

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when he plans to announce details of the planned review of employment laws and practices; and what consultations he plans to undertake on the form of that review.

Nick Boles: There are no plans for a review of employment law and practices. The Department’s work will focus on the measures announced in the Queen’s Speech and other commitments set out in the Conservative Party Manifesto 2015 relevant to this Department.

Students: York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what information his Department holds on the number of student accommodation units that are provided by (a) St John's University, York, (b) the University of York and (c) York College.

Joseph Johnson: The Association of University Directors of Estates (AUDE) publishes an Annual Report on the University Estate which uses data collected by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). The latest report was published on 21 November 2014 and can be downloaded from the following link:http://www.aude.ac.uk/documents/aude-he-estates-statistics-report-2014/

Students: York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what information his Department holds on the number of students at (a) St John's University, York, (b) the University of York and (c) York College.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what information his Department holds on the number of students from York at (a) St John's University, York, (b) the University of York and (c) York College.

Joseph Johnson: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes data on students at UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The numbers of enrolments to St John’s University and York University, including those who were domiciled in York Local Authority prior to their course, have been provided in the table for Academic Year 2013/14. Figures for students registered on prescribed courses of Higher Education at York College are available from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).   Student enrolments [1,2] to Higher Education courses in York Academic year 2013/14Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5.DomicileSt John’s UniversityUniversity of York York College[4]All6,42016,680 505York Local Authority[3]5851,040 .. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record and the Further Education Data Services Individualised Learner Record (ILR)(1) Figures cover students in all modes for all years of study.(2) Numbers of students registered at St John’s University and the University of York are based on the HESA standard HE registration population. Numbers registered at York College are from the Individualised Learner Record and the population has been defined to mirror that used in the York HEIs.(3) A student’s local authority area is derived from their home postcode. This information is not available for students who are registered at York College.(4) Students registered at York Further Education College are only included in the data if they are studying a prescribed course of Higher Education.  Information for the 2014/15 academic year will become available from the Higher Education Statistics Agency in January 2016.

Department for International Development

Burma: Refugees

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support her Department is providing to Rohingya migrants stranded in South East Asia.

Mr Desmond Swayne: DFID is working closely with and provides central funding to humanitarian agencies active in the region, and is working with FCO to encourage a regional response to the crisis. DFID is one of the largest humanitarian donors in Rakhine. We have now increased our support by a further £6.2 million, bringing the total to over £18 million since 2012.

Department for International Development: Private Military and Security Companies

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many contracts her Department has held with private security companies for work in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Desmond Swayne: The department has not held any contracts with private security companies in Iraq and Afghanistan within the last 5 years.

*No heading*

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what priority she gives to promoting economic development in countries which receive UK aid.

Mr Desmond Swayne: Economic development is the only way we can ultimately defeat poverty. No country has been able to eradicate poverty without sustainable growth. Our work in this economic development is and will remain one of our highest priority areas over the next five years.

*No heading*

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department has taken to increase the capacity of developing countries to collect tax.

Grant Shapps: DFID is engaged in, or developing, tax reform projects in 26 of our 28 priority countries. We have established a specialist Capacity Building Unit in HMRC to provide technical expertise to support these efforts and are working internationally so developing countries have the means to tackle tax avoidance and evasion.

*No heading*

Mr Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to help developing countries gain access to EU markets.

Grant Shapps: We have worked with the EU to lower tariffs for 91 developing countries, agree development-focused trade agreements with African, Caribbean and Pacific regions, and promote developing country interests in the World Trade Organisation. We spend over £1 billion annually on Aid for Trade to help countries take advantage of this access.

*No heading*

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to promote access to education in developing countries.

Grant Shapps: Improving access to education and the quality of learning is a priority for the Department. We are on track to support 11 million children in primary and lower secondary school by 2015. We have also committed to help at least 11 million children in the poorest countries gain a decent education by 2020.

*No heading*

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will take steps to ensure that the UK continues to lead responses to humanitarian emergencies and help countries at risk better prepare for potential natural disasters.

Mr Desmond Swayne: The UK will continue to lead responses to humanitarian emergencies, responding rapidly to save lives, as we did recently in Nepal. Preparing for disasters is critical and the UK will push globally for more to be done, including at the World Humanitarian Summit in 2016.

*No heading*

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what priorities her Department has for the inter-governmental negotiations on the Sustainable Development Goals.

Justine Greening: The UK wants an inspiring agenda that eradicates extreme poverty through sustainable development by 2030, ensuring that no one is left behind. There must be strong language on finishing the Millennium Development Goals, on gender equality, and on peace, governance, and the Rule of Law.

*No heading*

Heidi Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of the situation of refugees affected by conflict in Syria and Iraq.

Mr Desmond Swayne: We are deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation in Syria, Iraq and the region. The UN estimates that 7.6 million people are internally displaced in Syria and a further 2.9 million people are internally displaced in Iraq. There are over 3.9 million Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries.

Department for Education

Teachers: Recruitment

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what monitoring is undertaken of the recruitment of teachers in (a) comprehensive schools, (b) academies and (c) free schools.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education monitors the number of teachers working in all state funded schools (including all local authority maintained schools, free schools and academies) and the number of vacancies reported by these schools via the annual School Workforce Census. The number of new teachers per year can be calculated using the census. The information on teacher numbers and vacancies is also used by the department to determine the number of teacher training places that will be made available in each year. The take up of these teacher training places is monitored by the National College for Teaching and Leadership via the Initial Teacher Training Census.

Teachers: Recruitment

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what representations she has received on the ability of (a) comprehensive schools, (b) academies and (c) free schools to recruit teachers.

Nick Gibb: The Secretary of State for Education has received representations on teacher recruitment from individual schools, a head teacher group, professional subject associations and an association of universities providing teacher training. Teacher recruitment has also been discussed at the Department for Education’s programme of talks with the teaching unions.

Teachers: Recruitment

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to improve the recruitment of mathematics and science teachers in (a) comprehensive schools and (b) academies.

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve the recruitment of qualified (a) science, (b) mathematics and (c) English teachers.

Nick Gibb: We want to attract the top graduates into teaching. For 2015/16, we are continuing to fund the prestigious scholarship schemes worth £25,000 in mathematics, physics and chemistry; and have announced increases in bursaries worth up to £25,000 in each of these subjects and up to £9,000 for biology. We are also continuing to provide bursaries of up to £9,000 for those training in English.   An additional £6,000 grant uplift is available to schools that want to increase their salary offer for School Direct (salaried) trainees in maths, physics and computing. Funding for subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) courses remains available for trainees in a number of subjects including maths, physics and chemistry. SKE helps trainees to start initial teacher training (ITT) with refreshed, curriculum-specific subject knowledge.   The Prime Minister announced on 11 March 2015 a further allocation of £67 million for the next five years to train an extra 2,500 mathematics and physics teachers and upskilling 15,000 existing teachers. Measures include new schemes to attract more A Level students, undergraduates, postgraduates, researchers, career-changers and overseas STEM teachers into teaching; and classes to upskill 3,000 non-specialist teachers each year.   We have also given greater freedom to schools to pay extra for the recruitment of qualified teachers which can be used for shortage subject teachers.

Special Educational Needs

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the availability of special educational needs and disability provision in schools.

Edward Timpson: Ofsted inspects the quality of provision, including that made for children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities. When inspecting a school, Ofsted must consider how well it meets the needs of the range of pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities. Inspectors will look for evidence that schools are enabling all pupils to achieve their full educational potential and make progress in their learning.   Local authorities in England have a duty under section 27 of the Children and Families Act 2014 to keep under review the educational, training, and social care provision for children and young people in their areas who are disabled or have special educational needs. They must consider the extent to which that provision is sufficient to meet the needs of those children and young people.

Cooperative Trust Schools

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential benefits of cooperative schools.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education only collects information on the categories of schools as set out in legislation. Since co-operative schools are not a separate category but form a sub-set of trust schools, information is only collected on trust schools in general.

Teachers: Recruitment

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of the allocation of (a) physics and (b) mathematics teacher recruitment places are allocated to (i) higher education institutions and (ii) Schools Direct.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education has published data on the allocation of initial teacher training (ITT) places for the 2015/16 academic year online at:   www.gov.uk/allocation-of-initial-teacher-training-places  Since 2013, the department has placed no limit on the number of physics or mathematics places that any school or ITT provider can deliver.

Teachers

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when her Department will publish the next School Workforce Census.

Nick Gibb: The results of the November 2014 School Workforce Census will be published on 2 July 2015 as previously announced: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-education/about/statistics#forthcoming-publications

University Technical Colleges: Admissions

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many recruits will be taken on by (a) the University of Birmingham UTS and (b) Cambridge University UTS in September (i) 2015, (ii) 2016 and (iii) 2017.

Nick Gibb: Neither of the two university training schools is open and therefore neither currently holds an allocation of places.   In the first year of opening (2015/16), the University of Cambridge Training School has no plans to take on any trainees. It plans to take on up to three trainees per year in the 2016/17 and 2017/18 academic years.   In the first three years of opening, the University of Birmingham Training School plans to host up to 12 trainees or placements from partner schools.

Teachers: Training

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the conversion rate is from initial teacher training to newly qualified teacher accreditation for the last three years for which figures are available.

Nick Gibb: The information requested is published by the Department for Education and is published online at: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/itt-performance-profiles-management-information-2012-to-2013   This data shows the proportion of teachers that secure employment in a teaching post within six months of qualification. It does not capture those teachers who might choose to delay their entry into the workforce.

Teachers: Training

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of initial teacher training allocations will be filled by the Schools Direct Programme in (a) 2015, (b) 2016, (c) 2017, (d) 2018 and (e) 2019.

Nick Gibb: The information requested in part (a) is published by the Department for Education and is available online at: www.gov.uk/allocation-of-initial-teacher-training-places  We have not yet made any decisions about the distribution of places after the 2015/16 year. Lead schools and accredited initial teacher training providers will be invited to register their interest in due course.

Teachers: Temporary Employment

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many agency teachers were hired by state-funded schools in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13 and (d) 2013-14.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education collects details of all teachers working in state funded schools through the annual School Workforce Census. However, this census does not separately identify agency teachers.

Teachers

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the terms of reference are for the research commissioned by her Department from the University of Nottingham on retentions levels in the teaching profession; and when that research will be published.

Nick Gibb: In October 2014 the University of Nottingham was commissioned by the Department for Education to conduct research to obtain up to date evidence on teachers’ reasons for leaving the profession, the quality of both leavers and returners, and the school-level factors influencing retention. This was to include a survey of headteachers, leavers and returners. A pilot of the survey carried out between January and March 2015 did not succeed in attracting sufficient responses for data to be meaningful. The department therefore ended the contract and research project before the main stage was conducted. We are currently reconsidering the methodology and expect to re-commission some form of research once viable ways of finding better data or responses has been identified.

Teachers: Training

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many final-year physics trainees there were in (a) 2011, (b) 2012, (c) 2013 and (d) 2014; how many such people were awarded qualified teacher status; and how many such people awarded qualified teacher status were in employment within six months.

Nick Gibb: Initial teacher training performance information for physics courses in the 2010/11, 2011/12 and 2012/13 academic years is provided in the following table. Information for the 2013/14 academic year will be published this autumn.All traineesAwarded qualified teacher statusAwarded qualified teacher status and in a teaching post2010/116415264392011/127876315352012/13791626536 Figures exclude Teach First.   Source: The National College for Teaching and Leadership Initial Teacher Training Data Management System.

Teachers: Training

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many final-year mathematics trainees there were in (a) 2011, (b) 2012, (c) 2013 and (d) 2014; how many such people were awarded qualified teacher status; and how many such people awarded qualified teacher status were in employment within six months.

Nick Gibb: Data on final year mathematics trainees from 2011/12 and 2012/13 is published by the Department for Education and available online at:www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-teacher-training   Information for 2010/11 is published online at:http://dataprovision.education.gov.uk/public/page.htm?to-page=publicOpencmsStaticPage&cms-page-id=tta-public/en/publicAdditionalReports/publicDownloadTheProfiles.html  Information for the 2013/14 academic year will be published this autumn.

Ministry of Justice

Perinatal Mortality

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) stillbirths and (b) perinatal deaths were referred to HM Coroner services in England and Wales in each year since 2010.

Caroline Dinenage: The Ministry of Justice does not collect data on the types of cases referred to coroners. However, it does collect data on the conclusions recorded at inquests. Coroners cannot by law investigate cases in which a child has not lived independently of its mother. They can open an investigation if there is any doubt over whether the child has lived independently, once they have received a report of a death. They can also investigate perinatal deaths which occur in the six days following birth. The Chief Coroner, HHJ Peter Thornton QC, is considering actions to improve consistency and good practice in relation to neonatal deaths. The table below sets out the number of inquest conclusions which were recorded as stillbirths. This information is also published at www.gov.uk/government/collections/coroners-and-burials-statistics.  YearStillbirth conclusions recorded200872009132010820111420121120131220146

Prisons: Drugs

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in how many prisons there are no illegal drugs.

Andrew Selous: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) has a comprehensive drug strategy for prisons, which includes elements to both reduce the demand and supply of drugs in prisons. The success of the strategy is illustrated by the reduction of drug misuse in prisons, as measured by the random Mandatory Drug Testing (MDT) programme, which has declined by 17.5 percentage points over the past 17 years, despite the fact that NOMS is testing for more drugs than previously. Positive rates were 7.8% in 2009/2010 and 6.9% in 2014/2015. The table below shows the 81 prisons in England and Wales that reported no drug misuse, as measured by random MDT, in at least one month of the 2014/15 financial year. Prisons that recorded no positive random MDT results in at least one month in 2014/15 AshfieldFull SuttonLowdham GrangeSwinfen HallAskham GrangeGartreeLow NewtonThorn CrossBedfordGarthMaidstoneUskBlantyre HouseGlen ParvaMoorland OpenWakefieldBrinsfordGrendonMountWarren HillBronzefieldGuys MarshNew HallWellingboroughBrixtonHaveriggNorth Sea CampWerringtonBuckley HallHindleyNorwichWetherbyBureHollesley BayOnleyWhattonChelmsfordHollowayPeterborough FemaleWhitemoorColdingleyHullPeterborough MaleWinchesterDartmoorHumberPrescoedWoodhillDeerboltHuntercombePortland Drake HallIsle Of WightRanby East Sutton ParkKennetRye Hill ElmleyKirklevingtonSend ErlestokeLancaster FarmsSpring Hill FeatherstoneLeyhillStafford FelthamLeicesterStandford Hill Foston HallLincolnStocken FordLindholmeStyal Foston HallLittleheySudbury FranklandLong LartinSwaleside

Human Rights Act 1998

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what his policy is on repeal of the Human Rights Act 1998.

Dominic Raab: The Government was elected with a mandate to reform and modernise the UK human rights framework. The UK has a proud tradition of respect for human rights which long pre-dates the 1998 Human Rights Act. The 1998 Act opened the system to abuse, which has damaged the credibility of human rights. We will bring forward proposals for a British Bill of Rights, which will replace the Human Rights Act. Our Bill will protect fundamental human rights, but also prevent their abuse and restore common sense to the system. We will fully consult on our proposals before introducing legislation.

Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission

Electoral Register

Emily Thornberry: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Written Statement of 18 December 2013, Official Report, column 106WS, when he expects the Electoral Commission to make its recommendation as to whether the transition to individual Electoral Registration should conclude in 2015 to 2016.

Mr Gary Streeter: The Electoral Commission will next report on progress with the transition to Individual Electoral Registration (IER) in June 2015. The Commission’s assessment will seek to consider the potential impact of ending the transition to IER in December 2015 to inform the UK Government’s decision on whether to make an Order to bring forward the end of the transition from December 2016.

Prime Minister

Prime Minister's Questions

Paul Flynn: To ask the Prime Minister, what his policy is on reform of Prime Minister's Questions.

Mr David Cameron: I refer the hon. Member to the letter I sent to him today. A copy is attached here, and has been placed in the Library of the House.



2016.06.03 PM to Paul Flynn MP
(PDF Document, 30 KB)

Official Residences

Paul Flynn: To ask the Prime Minister, if he will rent out (a) Chequers, (b) Chevening and (c) Dorneywood.

Mr David Cameron: Chequers, Chevening and Dorneywood are not owned by Government. They are administered by trustees in accordance with the terms of the individual trusts.

Peers

Paul Flynn: To ask the Prime Minister, by what formula will party political makeup of new appointments to the House of Lords be made over this Parliament.

Paul Flynn: To ask the Prime Minister, what his policy is on the number of recommendations for the creation of new peerages that he intends to propose to Her Majesty during the course of the present Parliament.

Mr David Cameron: Appointments will be made in the usual way. Appointments will be vetted for propriety by the House of Lords Appointments Commission.

Ministry of Defence

Trident Submarines: Fire Extinguishers

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many formal reports his Department has received of firefighting fog sprays being activated in weapon stowage compartments on Trident submarines in the last five years.

Mr Philip Dunne: In the last five years there has been one report of inadvertent initiation of the weapon stowage compartment fog spray on Trident submarines.

Trident Missiles: Testing

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the results are of all WP186 missile compensation tests undertaken by Trident submarines since May 2010.

Mr Philip Dunne: These tests are part of a submarine's preparation for deployment. It may take more than one attempt for a submarine to pass the Weapons Procedure 186 missile compensation test, but Trident submarines do not go on patrol without successfully passing. For the purpose of safeguarding national security I am unable to disclose details of these tests.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his policy is on establishing a Joint Command for Unmanned Aerial Systems.

Penny Mordaunt: Owing to the particular capabilities that each Unmanned Aerial System delivers and the different environments in which they work, operational Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) are controlled by Air, Army, and Navy Commands and there is no plan to establish a Joint Command for UAS.

Clyde Naval Base: Security

Brendan O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether 43 Commando Fleet Protection Group Royal Marines is responsible for final denial at HNMB Clyde and RNAD Coulport only when nuclear weapons are aboard nuclear submarines in transport.

Penny Mordaunt: 43 Commando Fleet Protection Group Royal Marines' core task is to provide military support to undertake final denial of access to nuclear weapons in addition to supporting the multi-agency force that protects nuclear weapons convoys.

Strategic Defence and Security Review: Departmental Coordination

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the forthcoming Strategic Defence and Security Review.

Michael Fallon: The Chancellor of the Exchequer is actively engaged, as a full member of the National Security Council, in the Strategic Defence and Security Review.

Strategic Defence and Security Review

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with the devolved administrations on the forthcoming Strategic Defence and Security Review.

Michael Fallon: The Devolved Administrations will be consulted on the Strategic Defence and Security Review.

Strategic Defence and Security Review: Departmental Coordination

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for (a) Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and (b) International Development on the forthcoming Strategic Defence and Security Review.

Michael Fallon: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and the Secretary of State for International Development are actively engaged, as full members of the National Security Council, in the Strategic Defence and Security Review.

Ministry of Defence: Public Expenditure

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on Ministry of Defence spending in 2015-16 and future years.

Michael Fallon: The Ministry of Defence and HM Treasury hold regular discussions concerning Defence spending.

Armed Forces: Job Satisfaction

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to improve morale in the armed forces; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Lancaster: This Government is determined to protect and improve the morale of the Service personnel who contribute and sacrifice so much for our country. That is why we enshrined the Armed Forces Covenant in law and put our people at the centre of policy making and delivery. We have introduced a raft of measures to improve Service life, including improved welfare support, the £200 million Forces Help to Buy scheme and a permanent commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant through a £10 million per annum fund which starts this year. These efforts are yielding clear dividends, and I am pleased that the recently published 2015 Armed Forces continuous attitude survey demonstrates an increase in officers who rate their morale as high - up from 41% in 2014 to 45% in 2015 - while the same figure for other ranks remains level at 39%. It is also noteworthy that the number of Service personnel who would recommend others to join the Armed Forces has increased from 41% to 47%. These figures are encouraging, especially when viewed against the context of the tough decisions around headcount reductions and pay restraint. I recognise that more remains to be done, and we will continue to strive to ensure that our Armed Forces feel valued and that their contribution and sacrifice is recognised, including through the development of the New Employment Model which aims to produce a modernised offer that reduces the impact of Service life on individuals and their families. We remain on course to meet Future Force 2020 targets as we move towards the agile and flexible force needed to keep us safe at home and abroad.

Aircraft Carriers: Staff

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of the crew size for each of the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers once they have become operational.

Mr Philip Dunne: Ships' complements are not fixed; they vary, even across a class, due to equipment fits and in response to specific tasking.The planned complement for each of the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers when in their normal operating role is 672.

Navy: Staff

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what projections his Department has made of the target strength of the Royal Navy for each of the next five years.

Penny Mordaunt: On current plans, the trained strength requirements for the Naval Service are as follows:April 201530,300April 201630,200April 201730,200April 201829,900April 201929,900April 202029,900

Navy: Recruitment

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people were recruited to the Royal Navy in each month since May 2014.

Mr Julian Brazier: The information requested in relation to gains to the Trained Strength since May 2014 is shown in the following table:   May 2014June2014July2014August 2014September 2014October2014November2014December 2014January2015February 2015March 2015RoyalNavy200240 210 40 180 180 130 110 150 130 240Royal Marines40 70 100 0 60 100 60 40 40 50 30Combined Total240 310 300 40 240 270 180 150 200 180 280  1. Figures are for Royal Navy and Royal Marines Regular personnel only and include Officers, Ratings and Royal Marine Other Ranks. 2. All totals are rounded in accordance with the Defence Statistics rounding policy; therefore totals may not equal the sum of their parts. All numbers are rounded to the nearest 10.

NATO: Joint Exercises

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost is of the UK contribution to and involvement in NATO Allied Shield exercises.

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what UK assets and how many UK personnel will be deployed to support NATO Allied Shield exercises.

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the strategic purpose is of the NATO Baltops and Sabre Strike Allied Shield exercises.

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the strategic purpose is of the NATO Allied Shield exercises which UK forces are not participating in or contributing to.

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what NATO Allied Shield exercises UK forces are not participating in or contributing to.

Penny Mordaunt: NATO's ALLIED SHIELD is a series of four different exercises - BALTOPS, SABER STRIKE, NOBLE JUMP and TRIDENT JOUST. As well as enhancing interoperability, readiness and responsiveness among Allied and partner nations, this series of exercises will provide reassurance to Allies in response to the changing geopolitical security situation in Europe and the threats faced by Allies along NATO's southern and eastern periphery. For Exercise BALTOPS, a major Allied naval exercise in Polish waters, the UK will provide three Royal Navy vessels: HMS OCEAN, a helicopter carrier (ship's company of some 400); HMS IRON DUKE, a Type 23 frigate (ship's company of 185); and HMS QUORN, a Hunt Class mine countermeasure vessel (ship's company of 40). Deploying with HMS OCEAN will be two Lynx Mk 8, two CH47 Chinook, and four Apache helicopters (some 130 personnel within the Tailored Air Group), and a detachment of Royal Marines of approximately 80 personnel. For Exercise SABER STRIKE, a significant land exercise in Latvia, the UK will contribute some 170 UK personnel, including the Battle Group Headquarters and an Infantry Company from 2nd Battalion, The Royal Gurkha Rifles. The Net Additional Costs of Exercises BALTOPS and SABRE STRIKE are approximately £920,000 and £200,000 respectively. Ex NOBLE JUMP and TRIDENT JOUST are designed to train the command and control elements of the NATO Response Force that are at high readiness. The UK is not 'rostered' to provide high readiness forces this year and therefore will not be included in these two exercises.

Department for Work and Pensions

Social Security Benefits: Expenditure

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the total annual spending on housing benefit and jobseeker's allowance is for people aged between 18 and 21; and what proportion of the total social security budget this figure represents.

Justin Tomlinson: The information is in the table below.  Housing Benefit and Jobseeker's Allowance expenditure for 18 to 21 year olds, £millions in 2013/14, Great Britain Cash termsReal Terms, 2014/15 pricesProportion of total expenditure on DWP benefits and personal tax creditsTotal HB6856960.3%of which also receiving JSA1681710.1%JSA5345430.3%Total HB and JSA1,2191,2390.6%  Source: Single Housing Benefit Extract, Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study and Local Authority subsidy returns   Notes:1. Benefit expenditure is available for financial years only. Information for 2014/15 full financial year is not yet available. 2. Figures are consistent with the published expenditure tables for Budget 2015. Full information on benefit expenditure is at the link below.https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/benefit-expenditure-tables

Housing Benefit: Young People

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average duration was of housing benefit claims by 18 to 21 year olds who were (a) in employment, (b) unemployed and (c) inactive in (i) 2012-13, (ii) 2013-14 and (iii) 2014-15.

Justin Tomlinson: The duration of claim for Housing Benefit (HB) recipients aged 18 to 21 is not available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Pensions

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to encourage pension providers to invest responsibly.

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his Department's policy is on pension divestment.

Justin Tomlinson: Pension scheme trustees are subject to a range of duties which, broadly speaking, require them to act in the best interests of beneficiaries.The Government consulted on whether the law should be changed to provide clarity for pension scheme trustees about their legal duties regarding considering financial and non-financial factors when taking investment decisions, as well as encouraging trustees to consider their approach to stewardship. The Government will respond to this consultation later this year.The guidance provided by The Pensions Regulator in its free ‘trustee toolkit’ was updated earlier this year to clarify that where trustees think environmental, social or governance issues are financially material to a scheme’s investments they should take these into account. The guidance also makes clear that the law permits trustees to make investment decisions that are influenced by non-financial factors, provided they have a good reason to think that scheme members share the concern, and there is no risk of significant detriment to the fund

Department for Work and Pensions: Public Expenditure

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will analyse the distributional effect of the policy options for reducing his Department's expenditure.

Justin Tomlinson: The department will carefully consider the impact of individual policy changes, including the effect on individuals with protected characteristics in line with its legal obligations.

Asbestos: Buildings

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what health and safety regulations apply to the demolition of buildings containing asbestos and prior exposure of staff who previously worked in such buildings.

Justin Tomlinson: Demolition is construction work as defined by the Construction Design and Management Regulations 2015 (CDM). Asbestos is a hazard which may give rise to risk and so information on its presence in a building should form part of the pre-construction information which the client must make available to the contractors involved. In addition, all work with asbestos (including demolition) is subject to the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR) which requires exposure to asbestos to be prevented or reduced to as low a level as reasonably practicable. In cases of final demolition the employer’s plan of work must, so far as is reasonably practicable, specify that asbestos must be removed before any demolition starts, unless removal would cause a greater risk to employees than leaving it in place. CAR also requires the owner, or person responsible for maintenance (the ‘duty holder’) of a non-domestic building to record the location and condition of any asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) and to put into place a plan to manage the risk they present. The duty holder is responsible for managing the risk at the time they hold the duty; they are not responsible for prior exposure to earlier building occupants. The record of the location and condition of any ACMs, and management plan, must be available for as long as ACMs are present in the building.

Asbestos: Buildings

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what regulations apply to the recording and maintenance of information on asbestos in buildings; and for what period such records should be maintained by building owners.

Justin Tomlinson: The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR) requires the owner, or person responsible for maintenance (the ‘duty holder’) of a non-domestic building to record the location and condition of any asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) and to put into place a plan to manage the risk they present. The duty holder is only responsible for managing the risk at the time they hold the duty; they are not responsible for prior exposure to earlier building occupants. The record of the location and condition of any ACMs, and management plan, must be available for as long as ACMs are present in the building.

Social Security Benefits

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many families in each parliamentary constituency were in receipt of benefits in excess of £26,000 before the introduction of the benefits cap.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Social Security Benefits

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many families in each parliamentary constituency are in receipt of benefits in excess of £23,000.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Social Security Benefits

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of households in each (a) region, (b) constituent part of the UK and (c) constituency that would be affected by a household benefit cap of £23,000.

Justin Tomlinson: We will publish a full Impact Assessment in due course.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate he has made of the number of people who will be claiming universal credit in April (a) 2016, (b) 2017, (c) 2018, (d) 2019 and (e) 2020.

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate he has made of the number of households with children which will be claiming universal credit in April (a) 2016, (b) 2017, (c) 2018, (d) 2019 and (e) 2020.

Priti Patel: We are on track with our plans for the national roll out of Universal Credit. Universal Credit is already available in over 40% of Jobcentres and will be present in all by Spring 2016.The Department is not setting targets for numbers in receipt of Universal Credit because numbers will vary according to factors such as economic circumstances and the behavioural change of claimants.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to publish details of the earnings thresholds for universal credit that will be used to determine eligibility and entitlement to passported benefits.

Priti Patel: We are continuing to work with Departments to help them determine their earnings thresholds. Decisions on the provision of those benefits, including the eligibility and verification arrangements to confirm entitlement, will remain the responsibility of the Departments that own them.

Social Security Benefits

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of people residing (a) in inner London, (b) in outer London and (c) outside London who would be affected by a reduction of the benefit cap to £23,000.

Justin Tomlinson: We will publish a full impact assessment in due course.

Employment and Support Allowance

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of people who (a) receive the work-related activity component of employment and support allowance, (b) have a child aged under one and (c) are living in temporary accommodation who will be affected by a reduction of the benefit cap to £23,000.

Justin Tomlinson: We will publish a full Impact Assessment in due course.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Food: Consumption

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to encourage the consumption of (a) eggs, (b) bacon, (c) chicken and (d) butter.

George Eustice: This Government is helping to grow the UK’s food and drink industry, which remains the country’s biggest manufacturing sector contributing £103 billion a year to our economy and employing 1 in 8 people.Consumers both here and abroad want to buy great British food and drink. We are championing British produce overseas using the GREAT campaign, supporting companies to increase their exports and opening new markets for animal and animal products including poultry, pigmeat and dairy.We are encouraging UK producers to raise the profile of unique regional products and boost their sales under the EU Protected Food Name scheme. We are pressing for better country of origin labelling in Europe, particularly for dairy, so that our consumers can identify and buy quality British produce. The Plan for Public Procurement: Food and Catering Services, published in July 2014, guarantees that all central government departments purchase food to British standards of production.

Home Office

Immigrants: English Language

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what consultation was conducted with stakeholders affected by the reforms for delivery of approved English language qualifications for settlement and citizenship effective from November 2015; how the decision was communicated to teaching providers and learners; and whether an impact assessment was undertaken.

James Brokenshire: The possibility of changes to the English language requirement for settlement and nationality was discussed as part of the SELT procurement process. Letters announcing the change to test arrangements have been sent to a range of organisations. As this change relates to the implementation of existing policy, no formal impact assessment was required.

Ketamine

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with regards to the decision of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs to postpone consideration of including ketamine under Schedule 4 of the 1971 Convention, what process the Commission will follow to further analyse the effects of international control of the drug.

Mike Penning: The UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs decided by consensus to postpone the consideration of the proposal to place Ketamine in Schedule IV of the 1971 Convention and to request additional information from the World Health Organisation and other relevant sources. The process for providing this information has yet to be defined, however the Government understands that Member State action would be required for the Commission to re-consider scheduling. The Government does not believe that controlling ketamine internationally is appropriate. It could result in reduced access to a substance listed as an essential medicine by the World Health Organisation and widely used as an anaesthetic in low and middle income countries. We will submit evidence outlining our position when appropriate.In the UK, the Government is determined to clamp down on the illegal misuse of ketamine, which leaves young people hospitalised with serious bladder and kidney damage every year, and is detected in a number of deaths every year. To prevent its misuse, we have made ketamine a Class B drug and taken action to ensure its availability for health and veterinary care in the UK is properly regulated.

Drugs

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the findings of the report Drugs: International Comparators, published in October 2014, if she will review her Department's policy on drugs.

Mike Penning: The UK's approach on drugs remains clear: we must prevent drug use in our communities; help dependent individuals through treatment and wider recovery support; while ensuring law enforcement protects society by stopping the supply and tackling the organised crime that is associated with the drugs trade. There are positive signs that our approach is working: there has been a long term downward trend in drug use over the last decade, the number of heroin and crack cocaine users in England continues to decline, and more people are recovering from their dependency now than in 2009/10. Drugs: International Comparators provided a summary of evidence on the policy and operational effectiveness of other countries' approaches to drugs. It is clear that in many cases the difference between the approach other countries have taken illustrate the complexity of the challenge of drug misuse, and why these approaches may not be replicable or relevant in the UK.

Drugs

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what facilities and resources her Department has to assess the chemical content of suspected new psychoactive substances that are identified in the UK.

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many new psychoactive substances have been identified by the Forensic Early Warning System in each month since its was introduced; and how many of these substances have subsequently been (a) classified under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and (b) subject to a temporary banning order.

Mike Penning: The Government introduced the Psychoactive Substances Bill in the House of Lords on 28 May. This provides for a blanket ban on the production, distribution, sale and supply of new psychoactive substances (NPS), to protect young people from exposure to these new drugs. The Home Office Forensic Early Warning System (FEWS) was set up in January 2011 to bolster national capacity to identify NPS available in the UK. It brings together expertise from forensic laboratories and chemical standard suppliers, UK-wide law enforcement agencies and experts in the field. The system continues to develop a co-ordinated UK-wide approach to laboratory testing and analysis of law enforcement seizures and test purchasing to identify these substances. The number of NPS not previously encountered either in the UK or at EU level, identified by FEWS from January 2011 until March 2014, is not recorded on a monthly basis. The annual figures are set out in the answer to your question of 26 February (PQ 225633). Analysis for 2014/15 will be published in due course. Twenty-two new substances identified under the system up to March 2014 are controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, of which one is currently controlled under a temporary class drug order. FEWS continues to enable us to effectively assess the availability of NPS and take appropriate action.

Drugs: Misuse

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to consult with relevant (a) trading standards, (b) police, (c) prison service, (d) public health practitioners and (e) other stakeholders to ensure that the Government's proposed ban on the new generation of psychoactive drugs can be enforced.

Mike Penning: We have worked with a range of partners, including the Association of Chief Trading Standards Officers, the National Police Chief’s Council, devolved administrations, as well as other government departments and their agencies, in the course of the drafting of the Psychoactive Substances Bill. We will continue to do so to ensure that the Bill is effectively implemented and enforced.

Drugs: Misuse

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the risk of displacement of sales to the internet following implementation  of the Government's proposed ban on the new generation of psychoactive drugs; and what steps her Department plans to take to address that risk.

Mike Penning: The criminal offences in the Bill will apply to both online and offline markets. The National Crime Agency will continue working to close websites selling new psychoactive substances in the UK and tackle the associated organised crime. The Home Office, with the National Crime Agency, will also continue its close work with international partners to tackle the supply of these substances globally. We will monitor the impact of the legislation on any displacement of sales to the internet as part of our implementation plan.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost is of policing the badger cull.

Mike Penning: The Home Office provided funding to forces totalling £3.5 million in 2013, and £1.4 million in 2014 for policing the badger culls. The Department was reimbursed in full by DEFRA.

HM Treasury

Loans: Republic of Ireland

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the current status is of the previous Government's loan to the government of Ireland; and what proportion of that loan remains outstanding.

Mr David Gauke: This information can be found in the most recent statutory report which the Treasury provided to Parliament as required by Section 2 of the Loans to Ireland Act 2010. The last report was published on the 13 October 2014 and is available here along with all previous reports submitted:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/bilateral-loan-to-ireland Since the publication of this report, the UK has received a further interest payment from Ireland, on the 15 December 2014, of £41,998,674.42. The next report, covering the reporting period which finished on the 31 March 2015, will be provided as soon as reasonably possible.

Debts

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the aggregate household debt in the UK on 8 May 2015.

Harriett Baldwin: According to the latest figures published by the Office for National Statistics, the UK's total household debt was £1,686 billion in the fourth quarter of 2014. As a proportion of household income, household debt has fallen from a peak of 169 per cent in the first quarter of 2008 to 146 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2014.

Department for Energy and Climate Change

Infrastructure: Planning

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will take steps to repeal the Infrastructure Planning Standing Order.

Andrea Leadsom: My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State does not plan to repeal the Infrastructure Planning (Radioactive Waste Geological Disposal Facilities) Order 2015, which brings development of geological disposal facilities, and the deep boreholes required to assess potential sites for these facilities, within the statutory definition of Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects in the Planning Act 2008.The Government believes that the Planning Act 2008 represents the most appropriate planning regime for infrastructure of this kind.

Electricity Generation

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate she has made of the capacity margin for UK electricity generation during winter 2015-16.

Andrea Leadsom: Electricity capacity assessments by Ofgem and National Grid, as well as our own modelling at DECC, have consistently shown tight capacity margins in the years between now and the first Capacity Market delivery year (2018/19) if we did not have National Grid’s New Balancing Services.Earlier today, National Grid announced the results of the second round of its competitive tender for New Balancing Services in winter 2015/16. They have announced that almost 1.9GW of capacity has been secured through the second tender round, bringing the total secured for this winter to 2.56GW. This is additional reserve capacity that will be kept on standby outside the market in case it is needed. The announcement is available here:http://media.nationalgrid.com/press-releases/uk-press-releases/corporate-news/additional-reserve-secured-for-winter-1516/We expect this to mean adequate margins to meet the reliability standard this winter, even in scenarios where the system is under stress, such as during exceptionally cold weather. Further information on the impact of NBS on the overall market position for winter 2015/16 will be published in July.

Wind Power: Subsidies

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what her policy is on subsidies for on-shore wind generation; whether legislative proposals will be brought forward to implement that policy; and whether that policy will be applied retrospectively.

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what discussions she has had with on-shore wind developers on the future of subsidies for that technology.

Andrea Leadsom: We are driving forward plans to deliver our manifesto pledge to end new subsidies for onshore wind and to give local communities the final say on windfarm applications, and will publish our plans shortly. Ministers and officials have had discussions with a number of developers and we expect to discuss our plans with a wide range of stakeholders in the coming weeks.

Wind Power: Subsidies

Mr David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the timetable is for the abolition of subsidies for onshore wind farms in England and Wales.

Andrea Leadsom: We are driving forward plans to deliver our manifesto pledge to end new subsidies for onshore wind and to give local communities the final say on windfarm applications as soon as possible. We will publish our plans and timetable for these changes shortly.

Department of Energy and Climate Change: Pensions

Mr David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the implications for her Department's policies are of the decision of the Pension Ombudsman in the case of Mr Milne on 15 May 2015; and if she will make a statement on that ruling.

Andrea Leadsom: There are no direct implications for civil servants employed in DECC as staff are members of the Principal Civil Service Pensions Scheme or for the pension arrangements for staff employed in DECC’s Arm’s Length Bodies.

Fuel Poverty

Harry Harpham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many people are classed as living in fuel poverty in (a) England, (b) Yorkshire and the Humber and (c) Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough constituency.

Andrea Leadsom: The estimated number and proportion of households which are fuel poor in 2013 under the Low Income High Costs indicator in (a) England, (b) Yorkshire and the Humber (c) Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough constituency are shown in the table below.  Number of households in fuel poverty (thousands)Proportion of households in fuel poverty within the area (%)England2,34710Yorkshire and the Humber24011Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough614

Cabinet Office

Conditions of Employment

Paul Flynn: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many workers in the UK are on zero-hours contracts.

Mr Rob Wilson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply. 



ONS Letter to Member - Zero Hour Contracts
(PDF Document, 135.41 KB)

Epilepsy: Death

Jim Shannon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people died from sudden unexpected death in epilepsy in each of the last five years.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many deaths from arthritis there were in each of the last five years.

Mr Rob Wilson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply. 



ONS Letter to Member - Deaths from Epilepsy
(PDF Document, 109.46 KB)

Back Pain

Jim Shannon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many working days in each age cohort were lost to back pain in each of the last five years.

Mr Rob Wilson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply. 



ONS Letter to Member - Days lost to back pain
(PDF Document, 85.5 KB)

Electoral Register: Young People

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the effect of the introduction of Individual Electoral Registration on the number of registered voters aged 18 to 24.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the effect of the introduction of Individual Electoral Registration on the number of registered voters who are enrolled full-time in higher education.

John Penrose: The introduction of Individual Electoral Registration (IER) has made it easier than ever before for students to register to vote through online registration, with almost 20% of applications coming from the 18-24 age group since IER came into force.The Electoral Commission will be publishing a report in June on the electoral registers used for the General Election, providing the most up to date picture about registration levels.

Minimum Wage: Working Hours

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people earning the national minimum wage work (a) fewer than 30 hours per week, (b) between 30 and 37.5 hours per week and (c) 37.5 or more hours per week in (i) the UK, (ii) England, (iii) London, (iv) London Borough of Islington and (v) Islington South and Finsbury constituency.

Mr Rob Wilson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply. 



ONS Letter to Member - National Minimum Wage
(PDF Document, 85.6 KB)

Constituencies

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of potential savings to the public purse from reducing the number of Parliamentary constituencies to 600.

John Penrose: The most recent estimate, in June 2012, indicated that reducing the number of MPs from 650 to 600 would result in savings of £13.6 million a year.

Constituencies

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will abolish the future planned limit on the number of Parliamentary constituencies at 600.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the requirement that the size of constituency electorates should fall within five per cent of the electoral quota, as set out in the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011, Clause 1 Part 2, Section 11 (2) (1) on the representation of densely-populated urban areas.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether a reduction in the number of Parliamentary constituencies to 600 would be accompanied by increases to the budgets available to hon. Members for office running costs.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he expects the Boundary Commissions to begin their work on the next general review of Parliamentary constituencies; whether he expects this review to be conducted in accordance with Part 2 of the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011; and if he will make a statement.

John Penrose: The Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies (PVSC) Act 2011 currently provides for the number of constituencies to be reduced from 650 to 600 and the Government remains committed to equalising the size of constituencies in order to make votes of more equal value, regardless of where in the country voters live.The Boundary Commissions are currently due to commence work on their next reviews of Parliamentary constituencies in spring 2016 in order to submit final reports by 1 October 2018. The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) is responsible for the regulation and payment of expenses, including office running costs, to Members of the House of Commons.

Electoral Register

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to to the Written Statement of 9 January 2015, HCWS18, on maximising voter registration, what proportion of each of the funding streams has been spent in (a) England, Wales and Scotland combined, (b) England, (c) London, (d) the London Borough of Islington and (e) Islington South and Finsbury constituency to date.

John Penrose: A full breakdown of the funding allocations for all EROs is available at the following link: www.gov.uk/government/news/10-million-boost-for-voter-registration

Electoral Register

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to to the Written Statement of 9 January 2015, HCWS18, on maximising voter registration, if the Government will provide further funding to electoral registration officers to maximise voter registration once the transition to individual electoral registration is complete.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Answer of 6 May 2014 to Question HL6721, what steps the Government plans to take to maximise voter registration before 1 December 2015.

John Penrose: Over £14million has been invested over the last two financial years to support the completeness and accuracy of the register, including in the run up to the General Election.The Electoral Commission is due to publish an analysis of the electoral registers used for these elections in June and the Government will consider further steps in the light of this report.

Constituencies

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the Government plans to respond to the 8th Report of the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee of Session 2014-15, What next on the redrawing of parliamentary constituency boundaries?, HC 600.

John Penrose: The Government is currently considering the report's recommendations and will respond in due course.

Internet: Disability

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to increase disabled people's access to the internet.

Matthew Hancock: The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone in the UK has digital skills.The Government Digital Service (GDS), part of Cabinet Office, is working closely with organisations including RNIB, Abilitynet and Remploy. Some of these organisations are Digital Inclusion Charter signatories and research is underway to identify digital inclusion interventions that help people with differing needs.The new Alliance for Digital Accessibility, supported by the Department for Culture Media and Sport, will ensure that no one is excluded from access to government digital services or the internet more broadly. All departments are committed to supporting activity under the Digital Inclusion Strategy to reduce the number of people who lack basic digital skills by 25% by 2016.

Voluntary Work: Young People

Mr David Anderson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what qualifications and at what level are required of the personnel in charge who have responsibility for children taking part in residential training weeks under the National Citizen Service scheme.

Mr Rob Wilson: All National Citizen Service (NCS) delivery staff must hold a DBS check and possess the relevant qualifications required to fulfil their roles. The NCS Trust has worked with the Institute for Outdoor Learning to develop specific quality standards.

Department for Culture Media and Sport

BBC

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when he expects the BBC's Charter renewal negotiations to begin.

Mr Edward Vaizey: My Right Hon. Friend the Secretary of State is considering a range of options for reviewing the BBC's Royal Charter and will make an announcement in due course.

Independent Press Standards Organisation

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when the replacement body for the Press Complaints Commission will commence work.

Mr Edward Vaizey: The Government has no role in the establishment of self-regulators of the press. The Press Complaints Commission ceased operations on 8 September 2014. The Independent Press Standards Organisation, the new independent regulator for the newspaper and magazine industry in the UK, commenced work on the same date.

Newspaper Press

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what his policy is on freedom of the press and responsible self governance by the press.

Mr Edward Vaizey: Press freedom is a cornerstone of our democracy and for this reason the Government does not interfere with what the press does and does not publish, as long as the press abides by the law of the land. Government has delivered the framework for a new system of independent self-regulation, one which protects press freedom whilst offering real redress when mistakes are made. It is now for the press to decide whether they want to apply for recognition.

Sportsgrounds: Wheelchairs

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to encourage sport stadiums across the UK to meet the recommendations of Sport England and the International Olympic Committee on the number of wheelchair spaces available for disabled people.

Tracey Crouch: The Government is committed to ensuring all spectators have appropriate access to sporting venues and services, and that professional sports clubs are aware of their responsibilities towards disabled spectators.Sport England’s Accessible Sports Facilities guide provides guidance on access to sports facilities for disabled sports participants. The International Paralympic Committee’s guidance is there for clubs that want, and can afford, to meet the highest standards on inclusion and accessibility for both participants and spectators.The Accessible Stadia guidance produced by the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) brings together the background information central to designing and providing for disabled spectators at stadia and helps all clubs to meet the basic standard in the first instance.The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is working with the Department of Work and Pensions, the Equalities and Human Rights Commission and the disabled spectators charity Level Playing Field on a range of measures to ensure that the rights of all disabled spectators, not only wheelchair users, are met by owners of sports stadia. As part of this work, the SGSA will be issuing an updated pamphlet to accompany the Accessible Stadia guidance, which will detail the current legal framework which all service providers must comply with and including advice on how clubs can improve access across a range of different disabilities.

Football: Harassment

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to monitor numbers of incidents of football fans using derogatory terms for disabled people (a) at matches and (b) when travelling to and from matches.

Tracey Crouch: The ‘Kick It Out’ app continues to make it easy for fans to report instances of discrimination during, before or after a game. Of the 184 incidents reported to Kick It Out last season by 28 December, 118 (64%) involved alleged racist abuse, while 17% involved complaints about anti-Semitism. Kick It Out also received 15 complaints of abuse involving sexual orientation, 7 about disability, and 13 relating to sexism. The FA’s Inclusion Advisory Board, chaired by Heather Rabbatts, scrutinise these statistics, and those reported directly to the FA quarterly, and report to me every 6 months, which I will monitor for positive and negative trends.

Arts: Finance

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure fair and equal distribution of public funding for museums and the arts across the UK.

Mr Edward Vaizey: The Government provides public and Lottery funding to Arts Council England who allocates this to arts organisations and regional museums across England. The Arts Council uses a range of criteria to support a fair distribution of this public funding. The Arts Council are committed to increasing Lottery arts investment outside of London from 70 per cent to 75 per cent by the end of 2018 and recently launched a new £35.2 million fund 'Ambition for Excellence' to support arts production, talent development and leadership outside London.DCMS encourages partnership working between national and regional museums across England through object loans, touring exhibitions and partnership galleries. In addition, a number of national museums are either based in or have branches across England, such as National Museums Liverpool and the Royal Armouries.

House of Commons Commission

House of Commons: Postal Services

Mr David Anderson: To ask the hon. Member for Mole Valley representing the House of Commons Commission, when and how it was decided to stop using Royal Mail to deliver parliamentary mail to hon. Members.

Sir Paul Beresford: The House of Commons spends approximately £500k per annum on the mail forwarding service for Members, and, in compliance with UK Procurement Regulations, is required to seek competition for the service, and to award the contract to the supplier that represents the best overall value for money, taking service, quality and cost factors into account.In accordance with the Regulations, and the House’s procurement rules, the mail forwarding contract was tendered using a framework set up by the Crown Commercial Service. Invitation to Tender was in September 2014 with an award of contract made in December 2014. Royal Mail submitted a bid, but were not the best overall value for money supplier; that was DX (Group), who met all the service requirements and will realise savings of between 15% to 20% on the previous arrangements.

Department of Health

Care Homes: Mental Health Services

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that residents in care homes have access to therapies to improve their mental wellbeing.

Alistair Burt: Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities must promote wellbeing when carrying out any of their care and support functions in respect of a person. This is sometimes referred to as “the wellbeing principle” because it is a guiding principle that puts wellbeing at the heart of care and support. The definition of wellbeing includes physical and mental health and emotional wellbeing.   Assessments under the Care Act will identify the person’s needs and how these impact on their wellbeing. Care Plans must detail the needs to be met and how the needs will be met, and will link back to the outcomes that the adult wishes to achieve in day-to-day life as identified in the assessment process and to the wellbeing principle in the Act.   The Government has recognised the importance of doing more to consider the mental wellbeing of people in care homes and asked the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to prioritise this area for one of its first Quality Standards for adult social care which were published in December 2013. The links to these standards can be found here:   http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ph16   http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qs50   http://pathways.nice.org.uk/pathways/mental-wellbeing-and-older-people   The Health and Social Care Act 2008 Regulations 2014 sets out the fundamental standards of care people should expect. Regulation 9 – person centred care, makes clear that; “Providers must make every reasonable effort to provide opportunities to involve people in making decisions about their care and treatment, and support them to do this. This includes physical, psychological or emotional support, or support to get information in an accessible format or to understand the content.”   The independent regulator, the Care Quality Commission when inspecting services to make sure they meet the fundamental standards of quality and safety, use NICE guidelines and quality standards as evidence to inform its inspection processes and to inform the award of good and outstanding ratings.   A link to the 2008 regulations can be found here: http://www.cqc.org.uk/content/regulations-service-providers-and-managers   The Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Programme, introduced in 2010, offers patients routine NICE approved talking therapies for the treatment of common mental health disorders including anxiety and depression. The programme aims to provide access to at least 15% of those who require treatment by March 2015 (data available July 2015). NHS England is leading work to ensure that older adults and other under-represented groups are encouraged to seek the help that they need.

NHS: Safety

Mr Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects to respond to the Sixth Report of the Public Administration Select Committee of Session 2014-15, entitled Investigating Clinical Incidents in the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Gummer: We welcome the inquiry carried out by the Public Administration Select Committee into investigating clinical incidents in the National Health Service. We are considering the conclusions and recommendations in the report carefully and will respond shortly.

Hearing Aids

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure the availability of hearing aids.

Alistair Burt: Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for the provision of conventional hearing aids for mild to moderate hearing loss within their local population. As with other services CCGs commission, they should take into consideration assessments of local need and any relevant clinical guidance from appropriate national bodies such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

Health and Social Care (Safety and Quality) Act 2015

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress he has made on implementation of the provisions of the Health and Social Care (Safety and Quality) Act 2015.

Ben Gummer: The intention of this Act is to improve patient safety and the quality of care through three measures; reducing harm in care, continuity of information and the objectives of professional regulation. Progress varies on each of the measures.   Section 1 of the Act makes clear that the requirements for registration with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) must secure that services cause no avoidable harm to patients and service users. The Fundamental Standards which include the new registration requirements for the CQC, came into force on 1 April 2015, and contain a requirement on safety. A failure to meet Regulation 12 of these standards will be an offence; therefore this standard meets the duty on the Secretary of State as set out in section 1 of the Act.   Sections 2 to 4 of the Act impose duties on providers and commissioners of health and adult social care services in England to share information, and to use consistent identifiers, where this is likely to facilitate the provision to the individual of health services or adult social care, and is in the individual’s best interests.   Regulations will be made to provide that the prescribed consistent identifier is the NHS Number, and to dis-apply the duties to share information, and to use consistent identifiers, from certain bodies. Regulations will be laid later this year.   Guidance will be made available to affected bodies to help them to comply with the duties.   Section 5 of the Act and the Schedule seek to give an overarching objective of public protection to the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care and seven professional regulators; the General Chiropractic Council, General Dental Council, General Optical Council, General Osteopathic Council, Health and Care Professions Council, Nursing and Midwifery Council and the General Pharmaceutical Council. This objective is based on the proposals set out by the Law Commissions in their review published in April 2014.   The commencement of the objectives for the Professional Standards Authority and these professional regulators will be implemented following discussions with those bodies which will take place shortly.

General Practitioners: Age

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of GPs in England are over 50 years old.

Ben Gummer: The annual National Health Service General and Personal Medical Services workforce census, published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre, shows the numbers of general practitioners (GPs) working in the NHS in England at 30 September each year. The latest available statistics are as at 30 September 2014 and were published on 25 March 2015. The percentage of GPs (excluding Registrars and Retainers) aged 50 years and over as at 30 September 2014 is 39%.

NHS: Working Hours

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how his Department will meet the cost of making the NHS a full seven day a week service.

Alistair Burt: The Department is working with NHS England to ensure that seven day services will be implemented in a way that is affordable and focussed both on improving efficiency and delivering clear benefits to patients. The costs will depend on a number of factors, which will be subject to further work as detailed implementation plans are developed. The exact health budget for future years will be determined by the Spending Review.